Aoshima Subtropical Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in the Aoshima area of Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture. It is home to a wide variety of subtropical plants and is also affectionately known as Miyako Botanical Garden Aoshima (Miyako Botanic Garden Aoshima). The garden stretches across from Aoshima Island.
Aoshima is famous for its naturally growing subtropical plant community, which has been designated a Special Natural Monument of Japan. The botanical garden features plants such as the Chinese fan palm, recreating an atmosphere reminiscent of the subtropical vegetation found on the island itself.
The outdoor garden contains approximately 8,000 plants representing 150 species. Visitors can see ten species of palm in the Arecaceae family that also grow naturally on Aoshima, including the Chinese fan palm.
Other plants include the phoenix palm, the prefectural tree of Miyazaki; the beach spider lily, the prefectural flower; and subtropical favorites such as lantana and hibiscus. Together, they create a colorful tropical landscape.
The large greenhouse contains approximately 1,500 plants representing 186 species. Highlights include 16 varieties of bougainvillea, as well as the African tulip tree and the royal poinciana, two trees counted among the world’s three great flowering trees.
The vivid colors and tropical atmosphere make this greenhouse an especially enjoyable place to explore.
The tropical fruit greenhouse contains 83 fruit trees representing 26 species. Visitors can see familiar tropical fruits such as mangoes and papayas, offering an opportunity to experience the diversity of subtropical and tropical fruit plants.
This greenhouse was renovated in March 2019, further enhancing its displays.
The botanical garden underwent a major renovation in March 2016, including a complete renewal of its design. At the main entrance, visitors are welcomed by white flower beds inspired by Aoshima’s famous Oni no Sentakuita, or “Devil’s Washboard,” together with tropical plants.
The entrance gates themselves have been retained from the garden’s original opening, reflecting the importance placed on preserving its history.
Just beyond the entrance stands an impressive large akou tree with deep green foliage. During spring and summer events, vivid red bougainvillea flowers spread across the area. Against the deep blue sea and clear sky, the bright flowers stand out beautifully beside the old tree, creating a striking tropical scene.
After passing through the tunnel formed by the akou trees, visitors arrive at the Rotary Flower Bed. This flower bed serves as a focal point for many of the events held in the garden.
One particularly popular attraction is the Bougainvillea Mountain, created for the spring and autumn event known as the Bougain Collection. Measuring approximately 4 meters high and 7 meters wide, it is a favorite photo spot. The spectacular bougainvillea displays change in appearance with the seasons.
A spacious lawn surrounds the central flower bed. Seasonal overseeding helps keep the grass fresh and green throughout the year. The plaza is also used as an event venue for a variety of activities.
Plants such as the bottle tree, known in Japanese as paraboraacho, and the Norfolk Island pine grow around the lawn, adding to its tropical atmosphere.
The large greenhouse reopened after renovation on March 26, 2016. It has a floor area of 610 square meters and reaches a height of 14.7 meters. Inside, visitors can see a variety of subtropical plants familiar in Miyazaki.
Some plants were transferred from the former greenhouse, including mango trees, Angiopteris ferns, and the beauty pandanus. They are joined by newly introduced flowering plants such as bougainvillea and plumeria. Together, these plants create a colorful tropical flower garden that can be enjoyed throughout the year.
To the west of the greenhouse stands a statue of the Merlion. It was installed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sister-garden relationship between Aoshima Subtropical Botanical Garden and the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
The tropical fruit greenhouse reopened on March 24, 2019. It grows tropical fruits familiar in Miyazaki, including mangoes, papayas, and guavas.
The greenhouse contains 26 species and 53 varieties of fruit trees, and fruit can be enjoyed throughout the year. Particularly distinctive examples include jaboticaba and longan. The collection also features plants closely connected with everyday life, such as sapodilla and cinnamon, allowing visitors to explore tropical fruits from a variety of perspectives.
Parabolaacho Café offers flavors unique to southern, tropical Miyazaki. It is located inside the Aoshima Information Center beside the administration building. Visitors are welcome to stop by during their visit to the botanical garden.
On the seaside of the Rotary Flower Bed is a natural woodland. From January through February, flowers such as oxalis and azaleas bloom across the woodland floor, creating a beautiful seasonal flower garden.
In 2007, this area received the Chairman’s Award from the Japan Park and Green Space Association in the Planning and Originality category of the National Urban Park Competition.
Washingtonia palms, reaching heights of nearly 10 meters, rise above the garden. Their tall trunks and foliage create a beautiful contrast with the deep blue sky.
Beyond this palm grove, visitors can enjoy views of Aoshima Island. The sound of the waves and the refreshing sea breeze make this a particularly pleasant place to pause and enjoy the surroundings.
Following the garden paths eastward brings the vast Pacific Ocean into view. Nearby attractions include Aoshima Beach, Aoshima Shrine, and the striking rock formations known as Oni no Sentakuita.
The botanical garden is also a convenient starting point for exploring these well-known sights in the Aoshima area.
The garden displays a wide range of subtropical plants. The following are some examples introduced by the garden.
Family: Arecaceae (palm family)
Native region: Brazil
The queen palm grows to a height of more than 9 meters, with leaves measuring approximately 3 to 5 meters long. Its elegant shape makes it a popular ornamental tree for gardens.
Flowering season: June to November
Family: Bombacaceae (as classified in the source)
Native region: Argentina
Parabolaacho grows to a height of approximately 10 meters. Its trunk resembles a bottle, which has earned it the nickname “the drunken tree.”
It produces red or white flowers, followed by fist-sized fruits that release white cotton-like fibers in early summer of the following year.
Flowering season: August to November
Family: Fabaceae (legume family)
Native region: Tropical America
The coral tree is a fast-growing tropical flowering tree that prefers abundant sunlight. Its new shoots are long and slender, and it produces vivid red flowers several times a year.
Flowering season: June to November
Family: Bignoniaceae
Native region: Brazil and Argentina
Jacaranda is a tall tree that can reach approximately 15 meters in height. It has attractive pinnate leaves and produces violet-colored flowers. In the warmer parts of southern Kyushu, it can survive the winter outdoors.
Flowering season: June
Family: Nyctaginaceae (four-o’clock family)
Native region: South America
The colorful parts commonly mistaken for bougainvillea flowers are actually bracts. The true flowers are the small white or yellowish blossoms found inside them.
Flowering season: April to November
Aoshima Subtropical Botanical Garden was established in April 1965 and officially opened in June 1967. Its original purposes were to protect subtropical plants such as the Chinese fan palm that grow naturally on Aoshima and to provide a place for academic research.
Aoshima is known as the northernmost natural habitat in the Northern Hemisphere for a community of palm-family plants. The botanical garden was created in part to help protect this valuable natural environment.
In October 1965, only six months after the garden was established, it entered into a sister-garden agreement with the Singapore Botanic Gardens. For more than half a century, the two gardens have continued to exchange plants and send technical staff to one another.
Through this relationship, the garden has acquired a variety of subtropical plants from the Singapore Botanic Gardens and from countries such as Brazil and Argentina. These plants contribute to the garden’s rich botanical collection.
Fifty years after the garden first opened, concerns arose about the aging facilities and the need to meet updated earthquake-resistance standards. In response, the entire garden and its large greenhouse underwent major renovation in March 2016.
At the same time, the garden introduced a naming-rights arrangement. From April 2016, it adopted the nickname Miyako Botanical Garden Aoshima. The initiative was intended to strengthen the garden’s connection with the local community and support sustainable operation.
April 1965: The botanical garden was established.
October 1965: A sister-garden agreement was signed with the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
January 1967: The large greenhouse was completed.
June 1967: The botanical garden officially opened.
August 1977: A tropical fruit greenhouse was added.
March 2016: The entire garden and the large greenhouse underwent renovation.
April 2016: The garden adopted the nickname Miyako Botanical Garden Aoshima through a five-year naming-rights agreement.
March 2019: The tropical fruit greenhouse was renovated.